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Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.

Baha'u'llah, Gleanings

Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18

In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

Jesus, Matthew 7:12

One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct....loving-kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.

Confucius, Analects 15.23

This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.

Mahabharata 5:1517

Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.

The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated.

Mahavira, Sutrakritanga 1.11.33

What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it.

Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a

We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.

Chief Dan George

I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me.
Indeed, I am a friend to all.

Guru Granth Sahib, p.1299

Regard your neighbour's gain as your own gain and your neighbour's loss as your own loss.

Lao Tzu, T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien, 213-218

We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Unitarian principle

Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.

Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29

 

With thanks to Scarboro Missions who present this original English version of the Golden Rule, prepared by Paul McKenna.

 

Thank you for preregistering for the three-day conference at Bard, The Golden Rule in the Religions of the World, from Tuesday, April 15, through Thursday, April 17, 2008 at Bard College.

For your review, prior to the conference, you may preview the papers by clicking on the pdf links below. [These are for review only, the conference papers will be published in two volumes: The Golden Rule: Analytical Perspectives by University Press of America, and The Golden Rule in World Religions by Continuum.]

Presentations, Tuesday, April 15

Presentations, Wednesday, April 16

Presentations, Thursday, April 17

For those of you who have registered for meals during the conferences, please note that for lunches you should use the Servery at Kline Commons presenting the coupon you will receive at registration. You may choose to sit anywhere in the Commons or outside on the picnic tables (weather dependent). The students will be able to guide you there as that is their cafeteria. Everyone who has selected dinners will also go through the Servery, providing a dinner coupon, but will eat in the Faculty Dining Room (adjacent to the Servery). If you have not already selected a meal plan, but wish to now, please e-mail iat@bard.edu or call 845-758-7279.

Link to campus map

Link to area map

“The study of comparative religions can find no more suitable arena for its work than the Golden Rule in world religions. That is for a simple reason. The Golden Rule—‘do to others as you would have them do to you’ and ‘what is hateful to you, to your fellow, don’t do,’ to take the two most familiar formulations—defines a meeting place for many fields of learning. There the study of comparative religion, philosophy and ethics, anthropology and sociology, and the whole range of cross-cultural studies in the social sciences and the humanities intersect,” states Jacob Neusner, the coorganizer of the conference. “Both the Golden Rule itself and how it attests to the human condition demand study. Defining the rule and explaining its universality in religion and culture require attention.”

The conference is presented at the College with a grant from the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love.

Reservations are requested, however there is no charge for attendance. All presentations take place in the Weis Cinema of the Bertelsmann Campus Center. Click here to download a registration form and printable schedule (pdf file).

For additional information or reservations, call the IAT at 845-758-7279 or e-mail iat@bard.edu.

If you plan on staying overnight for the conference, the Beekman Arms/Delemater Inn in Rhinebeck still has some rooms available at a discounted rate for conference attendees. Call Cindy at 845-876-7077 extension 1 for details.

Travel information to Bard College

Link to MapQuest Directions

Conference schedule:
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
11:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m. REGISTRATION, Weis Cinema
1:00-1:15 p.m. Welcome, Michèle Dominy, Dean of the College
1:15-2:15 p.m. Keynote address: Defining the Golden Rule, William Scott Green, University of Miami
HOW THE GOLDEN RULE FIGURES IN WORLD RELIGIONS
2:15-3:15 p.m. The Golden Rule in Ancient Israelite Scripture, Baruch A. Levine, New York University
3:15-3:30 p.m. Break
3:30-4:30 p.m. The Golden Rule in Graeco-Roman Religion and Philosophy, Robert Berchman, Dowling College
4:30-5:30 p.m. The Golden Rule in Graeco-Roman Religion and Philosophy, Carolyn Dewald, Bard College
5:30-7:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00-8:00 p.m.

The Golden Rule in Confucianism, Mark A. Csikszentmihalyi, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Wednesday, April 16, 2008
9:00-10:00 a.m. The Golden Rule in Judaism, Jacob Neusner, Bard College
10:00-11:00 a.m. The Golden Rule in Zoroastrianism, Mahnaz Moazami, Columbia University
11:00-12 noon The Golden Rule in Earliest Christianity, Bruce D. Chilton, Bard College
12 noon - 1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00-2:00 p.m. The Golden Rule as the Law of Nature, from Origen to Martin Luther, Olivier du Roy, Paris
2:00-3:00 p.m. The Golden Rule in Islam, Th. Emil Homerin, University of Rochester
3:00-3:15 p.m. Break
3:15-4:15 p.m. The Golden Rule in Buddhism [I], Kristin Scheible, Bard College
4:15-5:15 p.m. The Golden Rule in Buddhism [II], Charles Hallisey, University of Wisconsin
5:30-7:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00-8:00 p.m. The Golden Rule in Hinduism, Richard Davis, Bard College
8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

The Golden Rule. Film screening and discussion with filmmaker Tina Petrova, and representatives of Scarboro Missions: Paul McKenna and Rev. Leslie Gabriel Mezei.

Thursday, April 17, 2008
ANALYTICAL PERSPECTIVES
9:00-10:00 a.m. Philosophical Perspectives on the Golden Rule, Daniel Berthold, Bard College
10:00-11:00 a.m. Philosophical Perspectives on the Golden Rule, Jeffrey Wattles, Kent State University
11:00-12 noon The Golden Rules of Religion, David Sloan Wilson, Binghamton University
12 noon - 1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00-2:00 p.m. How the Golden Rule Can Lead to Reproductive Success: A New Selection Basis for Alexander’s “Indirect Reciprocity,” Chris Boehm, University of Southern California
2:00-3:00 p.m. Gold or Fool’s Gold? Ridding the Golden Rule of Absurd Implications, Harry Gensler, John Carroll University
3:00-3:30 p.m. Discussion and Conclusion

 

Please note: Presentation order and title, subject to change.

Events occur in the Weis Cinema of the Bertelsmann Campus Center.


 

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